Resetting an auto-enter serial number (ID)

Is there a way to re-use a serial / ID number from a record that was deleted?

I have several tables and portals with relationships in my database... But I sometimes delete portal rows, is there a way to have the next portal row I create maintain a (+1) followup number from the last actual number in the database?

Rather than skipping the ID number that was deleted?

Could I get pointers into viewing a word document that's hosted in a container field? I've only managed it through exporting it, but don't want to constantly export the document whenever I want to read it's content.

While it can be done it is not recommended. If you run out of serial numbers you have huge database. If you don't get all related records deleted it can give you false data. Also if you do reset the number then you primary keys should not use the Serial Number.

"Skipping numbers is irrelevant. The serial should be meaningless and unseen."

This is only true if the field is only being used as a primary key. Sometimes these numbers are reviewed by an auditor who will consider a "gap" in the sequence evidence of a missing record. In such cases it is better to "mark" the record as "void" or "deleted" in order to prevent such gaps.

And if you simply want to sequentially number portal rows, this can be done dynamically in a way that does not use a field, let alone a serial number.